Facebook’s Oversight Board decided on May 5 retain the suspension of former President Donald Trump from its social media platforms, which includes Instagram. Facebook, along with Twitter and other social media outlets suspended Trump’s accounts after the Jan. 6 riot in Washington, DC, based on their own assessments of the role his tweets played in inciting the … [Read more...] about The paradox of Citizens United, the First Amendment and efforts to regulate social media
Opinion
News outlets need to dig harder in reporting about policing in their communities
The initial press release from the Minnesota Police Department was headlined, “Man Dies After Medical Incident During Police Interaction.” That’s how police first described the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, after former police officer Derek Chauvi kneeled on the 46-year-old’s neck and back for more than nine minutes. Chauvin was convicted of murdering Floyd on April … [Read more...] about News outlets need to dig harder in reporting about policing in their communities
Newsrooms owe it to their Asian-American readers to get sourced, break stereotypes
Here we are yet again. We just can’t seem to get it right when reporting on race. On March 18, a 21-year-old white man was arrested and charged with murder after allegedly going on a shooting rampage at three Atlanta-area businesss that left eight people dead, six of whom were Asian women. Although the suspect has not been officially charged with a hate crime, … [Read more...] about Newsrooms owe it to their Asian-American readers to get sourced, break stereotypes
Local news outlets should play larger role in helping community members find vaccines
My mother was frustrated. At 78, she was next in line for the COVID-19 vaccine under state guidance in Illinois, but like so many seniors, she was having difficulty navigating the various websites and phone lines to secure an appointment. When she finally got on a waiting list at the local hospital, she found out there were at least 1,000 people in front of her. After … [Read more...] about Local news outlets should play larger role in helping community members find vaccines
What it was like to cover Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan
He always meant what he said, but figuring out what he said, and meant, was the tough part. It was the ongoing theme of covering a powerful figure in Illinois politics who often was a man of few words, unless it suited him to be more verbose or more available. It was always fascinating trying to figure out how he worked. Illinois House … [Read more...] about What it was like to cover Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan